Office Hours
by Jezzi-BEM
Summary: When Rikku signed up for an introductory mechanical course at Bikanel University, she never guessed that her professor would be a certain one-eyed Al Bhed...
1. Chapter 1

"It's a beautiful night in Sanubia, ladies and gents... who's up for a game of 21? Come on, y'know you wanna!" she calls out into the crowds, waiting for a few more players to join her table.

The festival has brought out more Al Bhed than she's seen since they rebuilt Home two years ago. And she's glad to see that it's not only her people wandering through the streets. The fame of a good Al Bhed party must have convinced many young Spirans to join in on the fun and to see the newest center of commerce and culture firsthand. Mist-making machines line the streets, making the thick evening heat of late summer manageable for the crowds. Vendors walk around selling flavored cups of shaved ice, and she can hear the concert from City Central even though she's standing about six blocks away.

She flashes a grin at the two older men who are currently taking way too long to add up their totals before flipping her cards over. "Dealer, natural 21. Anyone else?"

One man tosses her a few chips with a scowl and scoops his small remaining pile into his pocket before walking away to the minibar. The other has made blackjack, as well and waits to be paid. Whoever had the idea to set up a casino station was brilliant, she thinks.

"So, sir, what brings you out to the festival tonight?" she asks as she expertly shuffles the cards, making the dealer at the neighboring table scoff jealously. Rikku knows its just the dress - she can barely shuffle a pack of cards without playing a game of 52 Pick Up on a normal day.

* * *

"So…. You're teaching the retarded class?"

Peiki snickers, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she elbows Raigen in the side. Raigen stumbles back slightly, laughing as his body crashes into the old metal fence, causing it to rattle and vibrate and elicit a mumbled curse from Gippal's mouth.

"It's a first year class, dumbass." Gippal quickly plants his foot on the upside down garbage can in front of him, his arms already gripping tightly onto the metal rails to steady himself. "Four hundred new students. Mandatory course for most of them." Gippal shrugs, kicking the side of the plastic can towards Raigen as he jumps off the fence. He raises his eyebrow with a sinister grin. "Their little futures are all in my hands."

Peiki snorts. "What futures?"

"You're gonna screw them over," Raigen adds, turning to face Gippal. He crushes the soda can in his hand before tossing it with the rest of their litter on the ground. "They're not gonna worship you like your Faction workers, you know. You don't pay their wages, they pay for _you_."

Gippal sighs, scratching the back of his head as he scans the scene around them. Lights and whirling sirens in every direction. He's surprised the volume of people hasn't died down since he arrived, even as the festival is coming to a close. Everywhere he turns there are couples and families and kids running around, much unlike Djose.

"Aren't I glad I met up with you guys tonight," Gippal answers dryly. He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans back against a lamppost. An announcement about the final fireworks of the evening momentarily interrupts his thoughts.

"Lucky I warned your big head." Raigen sighs tiredly, stepping towards the main sidewalk. "Kids these days are brats. Better watch your back. By the time exams come, you'll have four hundred of them plotting your death."

Gippal rolls his eye, "You're exaggerating."

"I'm serious!"

Peiki gives him a shove, pushing him in the direction of Central City. "Oh shut up already." She glances over at Gippal, gesturing him with the half melted slushie in her hand. "Let's go see the band. The concert's almost finished."

Gippal nods, watching with amusement as Peiki twists Raigen around by his ear. He follows behind them, chuckling when a bewildered three-year-old catches sight of Raigen's flailing arms.

* * *

"Hands off the cards, sir... you've got your own." That's the fifth time she's had to remind him. She thinks the little old man has had quite enough to drink. She also thinks he's gotten a little too friendly. A loud announcement interrupts the music, momentarily, and most of the people in the streets start to filter toward Central City to watch the fireworks show.

"Alright folks, moment of truth. I've got places to go, so this is the last hand." She flicks the old man's hand away as it inches toward the stack of dealer's chips. Reminder #6. She flips her cards quickly. "19... can anyone beat that?"

She jumps as a familiar voice whispers in her ear. "I bring gifts of slushie goodness... do I win?"

"Joren, you jerk, don't scare me like that!" With a grin, she looks up at her friend and pulls a delicious looking pineapple slushie from his hand. "But... yeah, you win. Definitely." She hands out the appropriate number of chips to those who won and begins to put things away, ignoring the old man's protests. Grins at Joren and bats her eyelashes, glancing back and forth between the old man and another blackjack table.

He shakes his head at her before moving around the table and clapping Oldie on the back. "Hey, man... let's go try that one out, whaddya say?" As he walks the old man away and glares at Rikku, she takes a playful sip from her slushie and flicks the neon-lights that cover the table off.

She watches as the old man takes a seat and forces her friend to sit with him to play a few games. And she thinks its funny that he's nice enough to get the old man another drink and sit there to keep him company. Thinks it's sweet that he still remembers that her favorite treats always taste like pineapples.

He leaves the other table after a few hands, leaving his winnings with Oldie. Making a funny face, he jogs back over to her and messes up her hair playfully. "Not cool. I bring you a nice fruity drink you like, and then you use me."

She reaches for the top of his head, standing on her tiptoes to mess up his already rumpled blond hair. "Aw, come on, you like being used and you know it!" She winks at him and pulls on his arm, walking toward the concert that's still pounding strong.

"Whatever." He follows her and sips from his own slushie. "So... you look nice." She can tell from the twinkle in his eyes and the way he's biting his lip that he has more to say.

"And?"

"Where's your pole?"

He avoids her flailing punch expertly with a deep laugh. "Shut the hell up. Come on, let's go catch the end of the band and all the pretty lights before I decide to corporally punish you for that comment."

* * *

"He should at least _try_ to look good."

"But lookin' like shit is what he does best."

Gippal immediately throws out his arm, shoving Raigen into Peiki. They both stumble into each other, howling with laughter before Peiki snatches his shoulder and leans against him with a giggle. "Seriously though, look sharp tomorrow. It's not like they haven't heard about you in the news already. They expect you to make a good first impression."

Raigen dismisses her comments with a wave, nearly smacking a passerby in the face as they squeeze through the crowd. "With a tie and shit? Nah, nah, no. Just dress casual. Like you're one of them."

Gippal sighs heavily, staring up at the clear night sky, as if wishing on a star would turn back time so that he wouldn't have revealed his new teaching career to his friends. Classes would be starting tomorrow, and these two weren't helping to ease his nerves.

After a moment of silence, "At least, when I look like shit I still look better than you."

Raigen scoffs, pointing to his face and hair. "PUH-lease. I _taught_ you how to look good."

"Oh yeah, old man?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Oh, stop embarrassing yourselves." Peiki tosses her finished drink onto the overflowing mountain of garbage beside them, causing a mess of sorts as the mountain topples over. She easily ignores it, straightening the hem of her skirt and adjusting the straps of her top. She flicks her head back swiftly before grabbing both their arms and pulling them towards her. "You _both_ only look good because you're with me."

The two men exchange glances with a smirk. As if on cue, they both pull away from her, casually walking away with quickened footsteps.

"HEY!"

Raigen turns around, sticking out his tongue before catching up with Gippal ahead. "_Sucker._"

* * *

"So, are you ready for tomorrow?" he asks, grinning as he points at an advertisement for the beginning of the fall semester at Bikanel University.

"No. I still think all this is ridiculous. But hey, if Airwaves made you do it, it's only fair that I have to as well. Even though I'm infinitely more talented and have far more experience than you do." She grins as he shakes a fist. "I guess I'm ready. I mean, the classes are either a joke or they sound interesting. It's always good to become 'cultured', right?" At least, that's what she's trying to convince herself into thinking. Airwaves Aerospace wants her to get cultured, so if she wants the job, she'll get cultured. Whether she likes it or not.

"Yeah, yeah. Did they let you into the advanced architectural course you wanted?" His flirty blue eyes scan the crowd and she rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, but I had to get Pops to send the plans for Home that I worked on in as proof that I'm capable first. I mean, seriously... all of this paperwork is driving me absolutely insane. I hate it. And then I got the registration bill last week - I can afford it, obviously, but how do normal people like you pay for all of this?" She laughs as he shakes his fist again.

"Normal people like me have to show just how smart they are so that they can get free money, that's how. But anyway, what else are you taking? What are you wearing tomorrow?" He takes a sip of his slushie and makes sure to put his pinkie out daintily as he asks that last question, making her snort a bit.

"I couldn't get around that ridiculous introductory mechanical course. And then I'm taking sculpture and some traditional Al Bhed literature class, but only because they're making me. Well, that and the other choice was called Letters from Zanarkand or something, and since we're the one who found everything on the reading list I figured I had that one covered already." They smirk together with pride as they reach the entrance to Central City Square.

He looks over the crowd for an empty spot as she waits patiently, surrounded by a gaggle of tall people. "You never answered about what you were wearing!" he shouts down to her, pulling her close so they can break through the masses and get closer to the stage.

"Pajama pants. Isn't that what you people wear to school?" She laughs as he just shakes his head.

"And who's teaching that intro class this year? Last year it was some old man I'd never even heard of."

She shrugs, jumping a bit so she can see around people. "Ooh, that way, there's an opening!" she says, pointing to the right. He immediately starts to turn in that direction. "Uhm... I dunno, I didn't pay attention. Some new guy, I think."

* * *

Frustrated, he tries to stand on his toes once again to glance around him. There's too many people pushing back and forth. Too many heads bouncing up and down. Too many flashing lights to make out anyone's face. And the volume of the speakers feel like they are two seconds away from blowing out his eardrums.

He decides to give up looking for them, actively at least. Scowl or get scolded by them tomorrow or something. For all he knew, Raigen was probably making out with a curvaceous woman who had one too many Flaming Cactuar Juices. And Peiki was probably picking a fight with the security guard for trying to run up on stage.

He squeezes himself through the crowd, slicing through like a blunt knife. He had originally planned to stay with his friends for the entire celebration – it was the biggest festival of the year and they haven't hung out in so long. But a long look into the sea of people gathered around the stage makes him sigh with a groan. The idea of going back in there to search for them was out of the question. Class started at nine in the morning, and it was already bordering midnight.

A few kids trample over his feet as they scurry through the crowd, causing him to yell half swallowed curses before finally stumbling out of the thick of the mass. He takes a deep breath, dusting off his clothes as he heads toward the exit. Quick thoughts rush through his mind as he calculates the distance back to his apartment. Whether he finished packing his briefcase, and if his clothes needed to be re-ironed after Raigen and Peiki's little visit earlier in the afternoon.

'_Better watch your back. By the time exams come, you'll have four hundred of them plotting your death… They expect you to make a good first impression.'_

He rubs his thumb against his jaw, drumming his fingers down the side of his neck before shrugging. He's already spent the whole week thinking it over and preparing himself mentally. The day before classes is not the time to panic and get anxious and play with doubts.

He groans inwardly, shoving his hands into his shorts as he walks towards the exit. Most people were entering instead as the band played their final note and the announcer proclaimed the start of the fireworks show. He turns around just in time to see the first explosive fireball, decorating the sky in a hundred shards of white light. All around him are awes and cheers, and he would've walked away after that if he hadn't heard a familiar sound. A familiar laugh.

He turns to his left, his voice caught in his throat momentarily as he recognizes a friendly face.

* * *

She laughs happily as she watches the first of the fireworks explode. The lights make the crowd look brighter for a split second, and she takes the time to squint into the crowd to look for Joren. It was stupid for her to let go of his hand and get stuck in the mosh pit, she thinks, but she'll see him tomorrow for lunch no matter what, so she's not too upset about losing him.

She leans back against a lamppost, her smile getting a little smaller because the next firework looks like an explosion of pyreflies, and she's seen the real thing multiple times, so it's not as stunning. She can't remember if any of the trolleys are running tonight so that she doesn't have to walk all the way home. With a tiny grin, she glances around the crowd again and takes the last sip of her pineapple slushie, tossing the holder into an overflowing trash can. She decides to wait for him for three more minutes before beginning the trek home.

* * *

"Rikku," he calls out, but a string of fireworks effectively drowns out his voice. He maneuvers his way through the onlookers, biting back a grin as he approaches her. He hasn't seen her since the Celebrity and Time Traveler's wedding. Or, rather, the morning after. The night was one of many, but he never grows tired of it. Never finds himself without a wide grin on his face every time their paths happen to cross.

He takes a step back to walk up from behind her, her body a silhouette against the backdrop of bright stage lights and sparkling fireworks. In one swift move, he clasps his hand gently over her eyes, his other arm around her waist, tying her to the lamppost. He twists his head around the metal pole to lean his mouth against her ear.

"Guess who?"

She squeals in fright as someone grabs her, but it turns into a squeal of delight as soon as she recognizes the voice. "Gippal!" She pulls herself out of his grip and then hugs him with a huge smile on her face. She hasn't seen him in nearly a year, and she didn't even consider the possibility that he would take time off of work for the festival.

"It's so good to see you!"

He embraces her warmly, lifting her slightly off the ground in doing so. He releases her slowly, his hands steady against the small of her back as he leans down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's _great_ to see you, Kid." He deliberately glances down at her outfit, raising an eyebrow at her before chuckling.

She rolls her eyes at him and sticks out her tongue, but she laughs along with him. "It's been awhile... how you been?"

He shrugs. "Just same, I guess." Another round of fireworks sets the sky ablaze, and pulls his attention away briefly. Suddenly he kind of hopes Raigen and Peiki don't show up and have a reunion of sorts with Rikku. Not when he's got her in his arms like this, anyway. He looks around them, feeling slight relief that all eyes are focused on the night time display.

"Are you here with someone?" he asks.

She grins and shakes her head. "I was here with a friend, but we lost each other. I was just about to head home, actually." She leans back to look at the sky as they chat.

"And you?" Even though she already knows the answer because of the way he's looking at her dress.

He shakes his head, gently sliding his hand up her back. Each inch of skin like a fragment from a memory he forgot he had. He can feel a familiar desire rouse inside of him as she stares up at him, as the light from the fireworks flicker in her eyes.

"Well," he starts, lowering his head to press against hers. "You're not in a hurry, are you?"

* * *

He needs to buy a new deck of cards, he thinks.

With a deep sigh, he presses his hand against his face, stifling a loud yawn from escaping before reaching out to slap the snooze button of his alarm. He takes a few moments to clear up his mind, to get his eyes to focus in the hazy, dull morning light of his bedroom. Recollections of last night slowly piece together in his mind as he notices the random cards spread out on the floor, the tail of her bright yellow dress partially visible in the hall.

He slides his arm underneath the sleeping blond next to him, curling around her figure to play with the ends of her hair. He clears it from her face before planting a soft kiss against her cheek, loosely playing with the idea of putting her in a more compromising position. Whatever crazy doubts Peiki and Raigen polluted his mind with last night feel a million miles away as he slides his fingers up and down her arm. He hasn't felt this elated in a long time.

The alarm goes off again and he jolts slightly, reaching over to shut it off, feeling her stir beside him.

She groans, rolling over and stretching her arms over her head. "Stupid alarm," she speaks through a yawn. And it's only as another person's hand caresses her arm that she really opens her eyes and looks around.

She's in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room, and she's far more tired than she should be after just waking up. But then she glances at the man stroking her arm, and it all sort of comes together. She's in bed, naked, with Gippal. And after an initial moment of shock, that's not really a big surprise. It's happened before, many a time. And it's always one of her favorite ways to wake up. But it wasn't something she was counting on, last night.

They didn't get to sleep until around 3 in the morning, as she recalls, which explains her exhaustion. And the fact that her dress and her shoes are visible in the hallway. She never did get around to asking him why he's got an apartment in the city all of the sudden, but it's not really all that important, because his fingers are making her arm tingle.

She looks at his hazy eyes and gives him an equally drowsy smile, leaning up to kiss his neck. "Morning..."

He sinks his head into the pillow and momentarily considers replacing his alarm clock with Rikku instead. He roughly estimates he has fifteen minutes or so of fooling around with her in bed before he actually has to get up and get ready. Or, twenty-five if she joins him in the shower. Or all lunch hour if he brings her to work and hides her in his office.

He shakes his head.

"I forget how fun you are," he admits, snaking his fingers up her spine. "You should take time out of your schedule to remind me more often."

"That can be arranged," she says, giggling as he tickles her spine. "Especially since we're both apparently in the city right now." She starts to wonder why it is that they always end up this way, but instead she pushes the thought out of her head and pulls the covers over them, rolling to lie on top of his chest. She rests her head on his shoulder and nibbles at his earlobe playfully, glancing back at the cards spread out all over the floor.

"I think that outfit might just be _too much_ fun."

"Yeah, but I can handle it," he says with a smirk as she hovers over him. He slides his hands over her skin to settle on her waist, pulling her even closer towards him. Turning his head slightly, he brushes his cheek against hers, whispering into her ear. "Do you need a ride this morning?"

She busts up with giggles. "Mmm... sounds convenient. What a kind gentleman." And she laughs again as she catches sight of a light bruise on his neck, smirking.

He shrugs as he carefully moves his hands to her shoulders. "Naturally. I'll even drive." In one strong push, he pins her to the bed, her back against the mattress and his body hovering hers. The rush of wind against his skin drives a shiver down his spine and a sideways grin on his face. "Where should I take you first?"

She tries to think as her mind goes all hazy and her body gets all excited. She runs her hands up his chest and leans up to kiss that little grin off his lips.

He leans down, slowly lowering her back onto the bed. He brushes his lips against hers as he softly tickles her abdomen with his fingertips.

She doesn't answer him for a moment, taking the time to just pull his lips to hers and keep them there until she's out of breath.

"We could just stay here," she says, wiggling her eyebrows and motioning at the bed around them. "I kinda like it here."

He finds a spot at the base of her neck, making his mark as he slides his hands lower along her body. Her skin feels like silk against his fingers, soft and smooth. Free for him to explore however he wants. Whenever he wants.

"I'll take you to the Oasis," he mumbles against her neck. "I'll take you to the damn ocean and back."

And as he moves his head a bit, she finally sees the alarm clock, and the fact that it says 7:45 AM.

"Holy Yevon," she yells, flailing beneath him for a moment before wiggling out of his grip and springing to her feet. "I gotta go... oohhhh, I gotta go!" She spins in a little circle before she finds his closet. Without even asking, she slides the door open and starts looking for a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, because she can't very well walk home in Lady Luck.

As she pulls some of his pants on and pulls the drawstring because they are far too big, she glances back at him, lying there in all his beautiful naked glory with a confused expression on his face. She pauses for a moment to grin. "You, me, ocean and back... Friday night?"

"Uhh-wh-" He's not sure what to say as he watches her pull his shirt over her head, his body still hunched over on the bed as if she were still underneath him. "Y-Yeah, sure. Friday." He pulls himself up to sit on his knees, still confused, but he lets out an amused sigh anyway. "Where are you rushing to? If you want, I can give you a ride on my way to work." He pauses. "Literally, an actual ride."

She takes a moment to tie the shirt thats also far too big into knot on her side. "I, uh... I've got to get to work, actually. But I need to stop by my apartment first, to get my things. It's over on Block 127, near the residential district?" She doesn't feel so bad lying to him, because she knows he'll never let her live down the fact that she's suddenly woken up and become a college student while he's a big bad CEO.

"Is that too out of the way? I can just take a trolley..."

He grimaces slightly as he steps off the bed, reaching down to snatch his shorts off the floor. "Yeah..." he answers slowly, feeling slightly awkward for offering and then declining her the invitation. He buttons his shorts before making his way over her, catching her chin as she struggles to get the loose fabric tied. "Sorry, it's just, I can't be late today." He leans down to kiss her lightly, distracting her and causing the knot to become completely undone. He smiles against her lips. "I can lend you some money for the trolley though since, you know, you suck at cards."

She smiles back, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Wishing fiercely that a freak snowstorm in the desert would suddenly come along and cause all classes to be canceled and all workshops to be closed. "Why thank you, sir, that would be very kind." She remembers the shirt and hurriedly pulls back a bit to re-tie it.

She starts to walk down the hallway, carefully stepping over her dress without making any attempt to move it. Swinging her hips to tease him just slightly. She smiles back at him as she pulls an orange out of the bowl on the kitchen counter, grabbing her purse from where she apparently dropped it by the door. "I'll drop your clothes off later, if I can. If not... see you Friday." And with that, she slips out of the front door.

* * *

It's 8:47 when the trolley finally stops in front of the university, and as she practically charges down an old man who's wearing a knit sweater even though it's already too warm for comfort, she's glad that her lecture hall isn't too far away.

The trolley from Gippal's took forever to get to her apartment, and she only had seven minutes to gather her things. She didn't have time to fix her hair, so it's piled on top of her head in messy, but alluring (she hopes) disarray. Gippal's shirt is tossed haphazardly in her bag, exchanged for one of her own tight fitting tanks... she didn't even bother changing out of his sweatpants. She's glad that she decided that bringing a book bag was too intense for the first day of classes. Everyone else seems to be walking around with nothing but a rather empty looking tote bag, and she fits in pretty well. Except for the fact that she's running through the quad like a madwoman.

It's 8:55 when she walks in the door, and she quickly glances around. Most of the seats are taken already, but luckily her professor hasn't arrived yet. She heads down to the front, because even if she looks horrible, she wants to make a good impression. Wants to make it seem like she's oh-so-glad to be here and that her little mind can't wait to soak up all the knowledge. Even though she already knows the majority of what this class is going to cover. Even though she's 22 and seems to be surrounded by a sea of 18-year olds who are throwing paper airplanes. And who don't look quite as bedraggled as she does. But she thinks it's probably because they weren't having really good sex last night that they were able to get up early enough to look polished, and that makes her feel a bit better.

It's 8:58 when she pulls out her notebook and opens it up, neatly labeling the date and class number at the top of a clean sheet of paper. Making a bullet point right underneath that says "Be Positive!" in bold letters.

It's 9:02 and she wishes she hadn't run so quickly from the trolley. She underlines "Be Positive!"

A paper airplane hits her in the head and she sighs in annoyance. She twists in her seat, looking in the direction from which it came. A kid behind her points up at the doorway, and she directs her gaze there.

It's Joren of course. He motions for her to pick up the airplane, waving before leaving the room.

"Could I have that?" she asks a girl in the row behind her, who has picked up the plane and is about to throw it. The girl hands it over with a nod, shrugging as she looks around for something else to entertain herself with.

Rikku grins as she unfolds the paper, which is carefully colored and folded, more aerodynamic than the kind others are throwing around. "Geek," she whispers, smiling as she pulls the little paper masterpiece apart.

_You vanished last night! Meet me at the fountain at noon. Have a great first day!_

She doesn't even care that her neighbors in the row look at her funny when she giggles to herself.

* * *

There's an obvious plummet in volume when he enters the lecture hall. Chatter and laughter quickly dwindling down to mumbles and whispers and pointing fingers. He avoids looking at the crowd, at least initially. The plastic chair by the chalkboard capturing his one-eyed gaze entirely as he makes his way to the front of the classroom.

As he sets his briefcase on the chair, the noise level steadily climbs again, tempting him to turn around and introduce himself. Instead, he simply flashes them a smile, then ducks behind the podium to fumble through the built-in cupboard. He quickly finds the microphone set, standing up straight as he attempts to attach it to his collar. But it hangs off his shirt awkwardly, and so he rapidly clips it to his tie instead as he makes his way to the center of the room. With a deep sigh, he finally looks up at them, and he hopes they don't notice the uncomfortable sweat behind his neck.

He taps the microphone gently, and the sound bounces off the walls like an echo. "Can you hear me?"

There's an indistinct 'yes' mixed with half conversations and giggling from 400 or so mouths that reply, and he can't explain why but it relieves him a little. The fact that they seem to be a lively bunch… Easy to entertain... Possibly give him a good teacher evaluation by the end of the year…

He smirks to himself at the thought, crossing his arms and leaning back against the podium as he takes in the sight of his audience. The creaking sound of the door steals his attention briefly, and he motions at the late students. "Come on in, take a seat."

Unfolding his arms, he takes a step forward, resting his hands against his belt as he glances up at the mass. He scans the room entirely, starting at the top corners. "Hi, everyone. I'm your professor, and in case you've wandered into the wrong course, this is Introduction to Machine Engineering."

As soon as she hears the voice on the microphone she tries to convince herself that this isn't happening. Glances up and trusts that her ears are deceiving her - but they're not, and he's right there, and the briefcase that was on the kitchen table this morning is sitting on the little plastic chair in the front of the room, and she's. wearing. his. pants.

He starts to scan the class, and she thanks the sands that there's 400 other people in the room. Shrinks a little in her seat so he won't notice her. She wishes she'd had the time to put a little make-up on so she wouldn't look so tired. And suddenly she's a little angry that he offered her a ride and then took it back, because at least then she wouldn't have to be mortified and tired looking.

She wants to underline "Be Positive!" a few more times, but she doesn't want to move and draw attention to herself.

He clasps his hands together, satisfied. "Alright, looks like no one has gotten up and left so I assume you're all in the right place. That or, I've completely captivated your attention already." He gives a sideways smile as his gaze sweeps down to the middle section, as his voice echoes off the lecture hall walls from the speakers above. The classroom is a diverse bunch, people of all different races and sizes and accents, and he's glad. Despite Peiki's and Raigen's taunts, he can't hide the fact that he's been looking forward to this moment for a long time. Aside from the salary, the endless possibilities for research grants, the resources and facilities the university generously offered him… Aside from all of that, he really did want this position for more than fame and fortune. He chuckles a little as he catches sight of a student in the left wing eagerly turning on his recorder and taking out a fresh notebook.

He wants it, he thinks, because he likes machinery and he likes to teach it. And he's glad the diverse audience seems to agree.

"Some of you might recognize me as leader of the Machine Faction, situated in Djose. Now, I know the majority of you are probably still hung over from last night's celebrations, but rest assured I will not hold that against you if your head decides to hit the table in the middle of lecture." A few giggles erupt from the crowd as he throws up his arms and shakes his head. "Believe me, I'm all for celebrating and spending time with your friends and loved ones. We'll start off easy today, okay?" He steps backwards toward the chalkboard, casually allowing his gaze to scan the final front row. Immediately his heart skips a beat.

He stares at her for a few seconds, mouth slightly parted in surprise.

_How did she know where he'd be working? Is she here to tease him?_

But his confusion quickly fades away when he notices the notebook spread out in front of her. The pen frozen in her hands and her face like a chocobo caught in the headlights... And that's when he gets it. When he realizes why she was in such a hurry this morning. Instantly, he smirks in amusement.

Very. Great. Amusement.

"I promise," he starts, as he picks up a white piece of chalk. "The rest of the year will be a smooth ride."

* * *

AN: We're back! We hope you've all been well in the last few years, and we hope we can entertain you with our newest project! Have a wonderful day, and don't forget to leave a review! -BEM and Jezzi


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Of all people in the field, of _all people_, they pick him! _Him_!" she exclaims for the fifth time, throwing her arms in the air. A pigeon that was poking around for crumbs next to her flies off in alarm, and she jumps back a bit to avoid its flapping wings.

Joren looks at her with amusement in his eyes. The same amusement that filled Gippal's in class that morning before he made the comment which made her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. So she pushes his arm and groans again. The fountain's splashing and the sounds of laughing students fill her silence, and Joren just keeps looking at her with that stupid grin. She turns away from him, sticking her bare feet into the fountain pool. She wasn't expecting to like the deep brown and clay colored sandstone brick buildings. The same sandstone that the fountain is made from, which is warm to the touch and feels like the rest of Home.

"Look on the bright side... you already know everything, so you can skip class. Then you don't have to deal with him." He shrugs and takes a bite from his sandwich, tossing a piece of crust on the ground for the pigeons.

"You know what really makes me mad? I'm paying him. Like... my money, his pocket. So no, genius, I can't skip class because then I'll be paying him for _nothing_." She shakes her head and shoves her hand into the pockets of her newly purchased school logo shorts, lying back on the wall of the fountain. Basking in the warmth of the sandstone like the little lizards she's seen all over campus all day.

He nudges her with his foot before kicking off his sandals and sticking his legs in the water. "Okay, you have a point. But it's just for a semester, right? You won't have to deal with the embarrassment forever. Besides... maybe you'll get the chance to correct him on something in class one day. Wouldn't that make your day?"

"Yeah," she says, pouting a bit. "Yeah, that would make this a bit more bearable."

Joren flicks some water at her. "So Gippal's teaching your intro class. At least you can take comfort that he's teaching a low level course. You're taking advanced courses that half of your classmates won't be able to comprehend for three more years. So don't be all down on yourself. You'd have been suffering through the class because it's at 9 in the damn morning anyway. Now there's just a little added suffering. It's not the end of the world, right?"

She thinks his encouragement is comparable to the thick underlines under the first bullet point in her notebook. With a sigh, she flicks water back at him before hopping off the fountain wall and stretching her arms over her head. She watches as a group of children run by, laughing as they scatter groups of hungry pigeons. Her pocket buzzes, and she distractedly reaches down and pulls out her minicomm, hoping that Yuna has decided to answer her earlier plea for girly support.

And there is a message from Yuna, but there's another one, too. With Gippal's code on it. She sighs heavily, biting her lip as she opens it up.

_come by tonight to pick up your stuff. and maybe return your professor's pants._

* * *

He feels like whistling while he waits for the coffee machine to finish filling up his cup. The staff lounge was empty and it wasn't like anyone was going to hear him happily express his good mood. It was an exceptional morning today, and he couldn't deny that seeing Rikku twice before noon contributed to that. He was going to have _so_ much fun teasing her this semester.

He makes his way over to a leather sofa by the window, planting his briefcase on the ground beside him as he sorts through his lecture notes. He kind of haphazardly threw them altogether at the end of class as the students surrounded him with either questions or introductions. He wasn't an idiot; he knew many of them were practically trying to have an on-the-spot interview with him for a job at the Faction. Some of them sounded promising, but it was much too early to tell.

He barely gets to flip through the first few pages when his thoughts are interrupted by a pair of staff members entering the room. An older gentleman and sharply dressed woman walk in, their initial hallway chatter slowly reduced to silence as they take note of his presence. He hasn't seen them around the university before, but then again, he was new and it's a large campus after all. There hadn't been any formal introduction or welcoming ceremony for him; he never expected nor wanted one necessarily. But it did make it harder to meet new people.

He makes a motion to stand, but pauses when he notices the frown on the woman's face. She crosses her arms in front of her chest, raising her eyebrow at him. "Students aren't allowed in here," she says.

Gippal pauses for a moment before the words sink in. "Oh... no, I'm not a-"

"You're a little overdressed for the first day, aren't you son?" the man chuckles, pointing out his tie. "Well, I like when kids try to show a little bit more respect in the university." He elbows the woman in laughter but she doesn't return the smile.

Gippal sighs in amusement, placing his mug on the table before standing. He holds out his hand. "I'm actually teaching a course here. My name is Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction. Nice to meet you."

They exchange glances before taking his hand. "Oh, well, in that case, nice to meet you too, Gippal. Welcome to the university. I'm Niran," the old man says.

"_Professor _Welkar," the woman says next. She shakes his hand only lightly as her gaze falls over him. Her voice is monotonous and stiff. "How long are you here for... Kid?"

Gippal forces out a grin, straightening his back. "Just this semester for now. Hopefully longer, but we'll see."

Niran slowly nods at his statement, as if in deep contemplation. "Well son, I wish you good luck. I think you'll bring a unique... hands-on approach to our school... with all your..." He pauses to wave his finger in the air as if drawing out shapes in the space between them. "All your machines... and Faction work… practical stuff... all that..." He clears his throat as he turns over to Welkar, but she's already left their conversation to make herself a cup of tea. He glances back at Gippal, seemingly restless and uncomfortable confronting the young man alone. Finally, he points at his ear. "But son, lose the earring and tighten your tie. You need to show a little bit more respect in the university."

* * *

Rikku looks down at the bag in her lap, in which Gippal's pants and shirt are carefully folded... sitting alongside a guide to aerodynamic design and the rather expensive course reader that Gippal just had to assign. She looked through it earlier, and she hates to admit it but... it's well constructed.

She went home for a little while after class, and she looks nice. Not quite professional, but definitely not how she looked last night. A little bit more reserved because she's not sure how to deal with his teasing after this morning.

She already has homework, and she's already had a phone call from the representative at Airwaves to inquire about her first day. She feels a bit gratified that they even bothered to call, because it means that she's pretty much got the job. But she also feels a bit sad that Gippal is already teaching and she's still working on the beginnings of a professional career.

As the trolley stops and she steps out on the sandstone sidewalk in front of Gippal's place, she's not quite sure how she feels, other than awkward. And she hopes he'll make it easier on her than she thinks he will.

* * *

Tearing his eyes away from the pot on the stove, he trudges over to the couch and collapses with an inpatient groan. He glances up at the wall with a sigh. It's nearly eight and she still hasn't arrived. And he's getting hungry. Like, crazy hungry. Like he can eat his arm off hungry. Or rather, hungry enough to ponder the idea.

He suddenly jolts up and jogs over to the balcony door, the rush of blood to his head not nearly as exciting as hearing a knock on his door right about now. He tugs at his shirt lazily as he stares outside at the dark sky. The bright city lights sometimes makes it hard to tell whether it was time to sleep or time to party. It's not what he expected when he was offered this job, that's for sure. It'd been awhile since he visited Home, and without the billowing smoke stacks and constant clang of metal and machine, he still feels as if he's not quite at home yet. If anything, Djose feels more like home than Home itself.

A heavy breath escapes his lips as he leans his head forward on the glass window, feeling hungrier than ever. He almost thinks this is how the authorities will find him dead... when suddenly, a recent memory comes back to mind. Particularly this morning. And yesterday night. And the amusing thought is enough to make him wait just a little bit longer.

Unfortunately, his stomach doesn't agree, and he can hear it growling like a menacing fiend, forcing him to bend slightly at the waist. He pulls himself away from the windowsill, ready to eat up his portion of dinner and hers and tell her to order herself pizza instead, when there's a familiar knock at the door. With a wide grin, he quickly walks over, his socks like skates as he slides to a halt by the door knob.

He pulls it open, and leans his foot against the edge. His arms crossed over his chest as he gives her the easiest, biggest smirk in all of Spira.

"Sorry, office hours are over."

And suddenly it's not as bad as she thought it was this morning. But she thinks that might be because she's back in these semi-familiar surroundings and he's wearing that very familiar smirk.

"Well, it's a good thing friends don't have to wait for office hours, huh?" she states with a small smile. She shoves him lightly, trying to be playful but not quite getting there. "You could have said something, you know!"

And she glances down at the bag in her hands, her cheeks turning as pink as they were all through class as she points at it and meets his gaze. Clears her throat. "I uh... I have your clothes." Her face falls a little bit because he's still smirking at her.

He grins. "Well, you can keep them if you want." He gives the door a hard kick wide open before gesturing for her to come inside. "I just need you to pick up your stuff, really, 'cause I'm not coming to class in _lady-luck_, even if its exam day."

She snorts a bit as she imagines that picture, stepping through the door uncertainly. "Everyone would love it, though." She doesn't broach the subject of keeping his clothes, because she sort of liked his pants but she's certain it's inappropriate to keep a pair of your professor's pants. Even if that professor happens to be someone you've had the occasional romantic sojourn with over the last five years.

She stands next to the table, setting the bag down near his briefcase by the door. "So why didn't you tell me you were teaching now?"

He motions behind her to shut the door before disappearing into the kitchen. "I dunno, you never asked. And I only ran into you again yesterday, Kid." He turns on the light above the sink, poking at the cooled spicy noodles in the pan with an inward groan and growl. Slightly annoyed most of his machines get overheated faster than his food, he leans over to turn on the stove again. "Why didn't _you_ tell me you were going back to school?" He makes his way back to the sink to wash his hands, his voice teasing. "It could've made last night _way_ more interesting."

"Last night was interesting enough. And I'm not playing schoolgirl with you. Never." Because she knows that's what he's thinking. She closes the door and flips the lock, kicking her shoes off. "And I didn't tell you because I knew you'd just make fun of me. And I wasn't in the mood to get made fun of. And... you didn't ask either." She follows him into the little kitchen, grinning as he stands by the stove. "You made dinner?"

"Yeah. For myself." He pauses with a grin. "But I guess you can stay and have some, if you _really_ want." He nods toward the table, cleared of his usual paperwork. "Take a seat."

He swings open the fridge, swooping down to stare at his collection of bottled beverages. "Can I get you something to drink? Chocolate milk, apple juice, orange juice... Or maybe we should save that for recess?" He chuckles loudly as he catches her glare. "I'm kidding..." he adds in a lower, calmer voice. He rummages through the shelves, decidedly getting her a bottle of sweetened tea instead. "So, why are you back in school anyway?"

She accepts the tea from him with a nod of thanks, walking out of the kitchen and over to the couch as she considers how to answer him. Truth? Lies glorifying her standpoint on the necessity of an education? She leans back on the couch and tucks her legs underneath her, taking a look around. She didn't get the chance to look at it too closely the previous evening... she thinks the balcony is what really could have made last night more interesting.

She finally looks back in his direction and takes a small swig of her tea. "Because Airwaves Aerospace has accepted my application to become one of their airship designers and engineers, specializing in development of power cells. But they require all employees to have university certification, so if I want the dream job, I have to hit the books first." She takes another sip from the bottle. "This is good tea."

"Huh." The word comes out more so to fill in the silence than anything else, because he's not quite sure yet how he feels about the idea. The fact that he's pretty sure an application from Cid's girl to the Faction wouldn't have left his eyes. That he's pretty sure she knows as well as him that he would've given her practically any job she wanted - no credentials necessary - provided there was room on the payroll. And yet she's going through all this trouble for the same type of work elsewhere.

He gives the noodles a quick stir before taking out some plates from the cupboard. "So... What other courses are you taking?"

She continues to look around at the place from her seat on the couch, sipping at her tea. "Advanced architecture, advanced sculpture, and traditional Al Bhed literature. And I'm trying to pick up an advanced aerodynamic design course, but they're giving me issues because even though I already know all of the stuff you'll be teaching" - she pauses with a teasing grin - "your class is a prerequisite for other mechanical courses."

She shakes her head and stands up. "What about you, are you teaching anything else? And do you need help decorating, because your walls are very bare." She leans against the counter, watching as he serves some very good smelling noodles.

He leans back a little as the steam rises into his eye, and the noodles end up a little lopsided on the plate. He pushes it aside, filling the next one much neater, much more carefully, before sliding it towards her. "Nope, just the intro course." He glances up at her with a half smile as he turns around to toss the hot pan into the sink. "In case you've forgotten, I still have a Faction to run."

He grabs a few utensils out of the drawer and motions for her to go sit at the table. It's only when he's seated down and the messily placed plate of food stares back at him does he suddenly remember how hungry he was just a few minutes earlier. "But don't worry, my class is easy stuff. You don't even have to come to class," he says, stabbing a fork into a piece of chicken.

She grins across the table at him, shaking her head a bit. "That's what my friend Joren said to me this morning. But like I told him... I'm paying you. So I'm coming to class. You'd better teach me something I don't already know." She takes a bite of the noodles and is pleasantly surprised. "So how are you running the Faction, then? Commuting, or..."

He shrugs, scratching the side of his face absently as his gaze drifts back to the scene outside. "Haven't decided yet. I'm gonna see how this week goes. I'll probably fly back every weekend and have stuff shipped over to me."

He turns his gaze back to her, glad she seems to be enjoying the meal. "Or maybe I'll just pack up and leave right now and you can take over the class for me."

She laughs a bit bitterly. "But then I'd never graduate, y'know. So it looks like you've gotta stay." She gives him a small smile before taking another bite of her food.

"So when did you learn to cook, hm? Last time you made me dinner you burnt spaghetti!" She glances to the side and notices one of the cards from last night still on the ground. Smirks a little bit. "And you didn't answer me about decorating."

"Last time-" he starts, taking a pause to swallow. He holds up his fork to point at her accusingly. "-you walked out of the bathroom half naked, and I had the burner on high." He sighs a little in amusement as her eyes glance away guiltily. Taking a large mouthful of peppers and chicken, he gets up to grab himself a beer from the fridge. "And anyway, my living room is fine." He hesitates momentarily as he pulls the lid off the can, smirking at her. "But my office could use some work, if you want extra credit..."

She hesitates a bit as she remembers exactly how he'd looked at her as he burnt that spaghetti. The same look he gave her last night as they collapsed on his bed... and she thinks it's really mean of him to bring the whole school thing into it.

"I already told you, I'm not going to play schoolgirl. Especially not in your office! And any extra credit I get, I'll earn it with my brain, not my body!" She wishes she didn't sound so frustrated, because that's just something else he can make fun of.

He pulls the can down from his mouth slowly, as if her bitterness somehow found its way into his drink and burned his tongue without warning. The sudden, awkward silence makes him sigh with a weak smile, and he drags himself back to the table, where he sets his can. He reaches out to press his hand against her shoulder softly, as if rubbing it long enough will dissolve his words. Maybe he's pushed it too far this time.

"I get it, I get it," he says, leaning his chin down on top of her head. "But does that mean we're done?" He leans to the side, his mouth next to her ear. "No rides 'to the ocean and back'?"

His mouth so close to her ear makes her shiver, and his words make her wonder absently when they started, but she doesn't think about that for long. Because she hadn't really thought about the situation beyond its embarrassment factor. And she knows she doesn't want to give it up, not when the prospect of seeing him more often was just starting to settle in her mind. Not when they already have plans for Friday night.

"...not in your office at the university, at least."

His mouth curves up into a smirk. "Well, good thing we're not at the university then."

She shoves him lightly, pulling her head back and looking up at him. "Be serious for a minute, all right? We should figure this out. Because I'm sure if you were to get caught with one of your students they'd fire you on the spot. And I'm sure if Airwaves caught me with one of my professors my job offer would be rescinded. And I'm sure they wouldn't care that we've been like this for a long time. So we should figure it out."

He furrows his eyebrows with a pout. "Fine." He straightens his back as he crosses his arms over his chest, pondering out loud as he tries to recall the encyclopedia-like instructor manual the university had sent him. "Yeah, they'd fire me for sure. And besides," He leans down slightly to poke her cheek with a chuckle. "Any recommendation letter I write for you will be completely negated if someone from Airwaves finds out you've been 'decorating' my office." He gives a firm nod as he settles into his chair. "So, yeah. Nothing on campus, then."

She pulls her feet up onto the chair, leaning forward onto her knees as she thinks. "And we can't really do anything in the city, either. Because people know who we are, obviously, and people from the university live here. So no... 'dates'... in Home."

"That's fine," he says, taking another sip from his beer. And really, he _is_ fine about it, because as much as it may mortify her to have everyone find out she's sleeping with her professor, he thinks he has more at stake if all his friends and coworkers find out he's hooking up with one of his students. He'd never be able to erase such an incident from his record.

His lips squeeze into a thin line as he stares at his unfinished plate. "Guess this Friday's off then?"

She didn't really think he was actually planning on going anywhere other than his or her bedroom. "I guess. Unless we actually go to the ocean. But... yeah, I guess it's off." There's some regret in her voice, because she was looking forward to it.

He sighs in amusement as he leans into his palm, his elbow on the table. "Of course we were _actually_ going to go." He points behind him at the kitchen with his thumb. "I was gonna make us a picnic dinner and everything." He shakes his head with long sigh as he gets up from his seat. He ruffles her hair roughly. "But you had to go and get an _education_. Bah."

"I know, I ruin everything," she says, standing up too as she fixes her hair. "We... well, we could still go. We just don't have to - well, y'know. I mean... it's a rare day when you want to make a picnic. We shouldn't waste that." She hates that she's being so indecisive. Sending mixed signals and all of that. "We just need to be careful. This thing we do and the whole job thing..." She holds out her hands, trying to put into motion what she's thinking. Make it clear and defined. It doesn't really work, so she just sort of clasps her hands together and bites her lip. "Well, it just shouldn't mix, is what I'm trying to say. We just have to be careful." She shrugs again, pulling a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. "I don't want to say that we just can't be seen in public, because that sounds sneaky, but that's what I sort of mean. But it won't be too hard, right? I mean, we never really broadcasted the fact that we were sleeping together, so it's not like it'll be any different than normal."

He falls back on the couch, perhaps a bit dramatically, as if she'd just taken out an arrow and shot him in the chest. He stares up at the blank ceiling, absently thinking she may be right about the wallpaper...

He lifts his head off the cushion slightly, propping himself up with his elbows as he motions for her to come over. "So tell me what's your idea of careful," he says, patting the soft cushion. "How do you want this to work out?"

She flops down next to him, leaning her head back against the back of the couch. "Discretely. I don't know if I think sleeping together is the best idea right now. But I'm not going to lie and say I don't enjoy it. And I know you do. So as long as we're discrete, and we try to keep work and school out of it, it's fine." She laughs a little, because she knows he won't be able to resist teasing her, even if she ordered him not to.

"So," he starts, knocking his forehead gently against hers. He smiles against her lips. "How discreet is my apartment?"

She rolls her eyes, but she relaxes against his touch as he starts to rub her arm and settles his hand on her waist. "I think it'll do," she whispers, her lips brushing his, smiling because she just can't stay away.

He rolls her backward slightly, so his body hovers over hers. His fingers inching lower below her waist as he presses a kiss against the base of her neck. "And how discreet is my bedroom?"

She grins and moves her head to the side to give him more room, allowing her hands to settle on his shoulders. "I'd say it's alright, too."

"I meant... in Djose." He pulls away from her briefly to meet her eyes. Smirks because they're half-closed and he likes watching her eyelashes flutter like her breathing. "What do you say? Wanna go on a field trip one of these weekends?"

"Field trip..." she mumbles, grinning as she shakes her head a bit. "Yeah... yeah, okay. Djose. Sounds... educational." And she hopes he'll laugh because she played along.

He grins against her skin before leaning up to capture her bottom lip gently between his teeth. His fingers have left her shorts in favor of her shirt instead, skimming her abdomen as he slowly pushes the fabric out of the way. At the back of his mind there's something about strict university policies... and Waving-Air or Aerodomes or something of the sort, that have no bearing on the present moment.

He settles his legs on either side of her, sliding his hand behind her back to press against the base of her spine. He chuckles into her ear. "And you'll be under _complete_ supervision the whole time."

"I'm sure I will," she giggles, sliding her hands around his back as she arches against him and catches his earlobe between her lips, their unfinished dinner forgotten on the table and her dress still scattered on the hall floor from the previous evening.

She feels a buzzing from her pocket and thinks about ignoring it since she's not expecting an important call. But she pushes her hand to his chest anyway, pulling the minicomm up to her ear with an impatient sigh. "Hello?" she says, her tone a bit annoyed.

_"I'm going to the diner off of Block 3 with some friends. Wanna join?" _Joren's happy-go-lucky voice isn't exactly what she wants to hear right now, not when she's still got Gippal's breath in her other ear and his lips against her neck.

"I... I think I'm going to stay in tonight, actually. Long day, you know..." she replies, her voice a bit breathy.

_"...o-kay. You sound key'd up. Anyone there that I should know about?" _He's teasing her, but he's right on the money. She grimaces as she glances over at Gippal.

"N-nope! Just me and the books, you know. Gotta start off on the right side of the bed, or however it goes..." She bites her lip again to keep Gippal from nipping at it while she's talking.

_"I don't believe you. But okay... if you change your mind, you know where we'll be. Bye now!"_

The minicomm disconnects and she looks at it for a moment setting it on the arm of the couch and meeting Gippal's gaze distractedly. "So where were we?"

He grins against her skin as he feels her body sink against his. As his lips skim over the red mark at the base of her neck. "I'd say... about two minutes away from the ocean."

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for the warm reviews and love everyone! We hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to your comments! Have a great weekend! -Jezzi and BEM_


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